Selected Speeches

Speech of His Majesty King Abdullah IIOn the Occasion of the Graduation of the 20th Regiment of the Abdullah Bin Ruwaha Battalion
Kerak, Jordan
7 June 2007

(Translated from Arabic)

In the name of God, the most Merciful, the Compassionate,

Graduates,Distinguished Guests,

Peace, God's mercy and blessings be upon you,

Allow me, on this blessed and happy day, on which we celebrate the graduation of the 20th Regiment of the Abdullah Bin Ruwaha Battalion, to convey my greetings, with pride, to each and every graduate, and my congratulations and best wishes to them and their families, who have come from all over Jordan to participate in this celebration.

We congratulate these distinguished graduates, and we also convey our congratulations to the homeland for having among its ranks graduates of such calibre, who have dedicated their lives and prepared themselves well to defend this Arab sanctuary and its achievements.

I want to reiterate to these graduates that this homeland was established and built by our fathers and forefathers, on the principles and message of the Great Arab Revolt, which was led by Sharif Al Hussein Bin Ali to liberate and unite this nation and to establish and enhance the principles of freedom, unity and justice. And this army, in whose ranks we are all proud to serve, is the Arab Army, the legal, honest and sincere heir of the principles of this revolt and its great message.

The Arab Army has never failed to answer the call of duty in defence of the Umma's rights and dignity and every inch of Arab land, especially in the land of Palestine. The battles of honour and heroism fought by your fathers and forefathers, the soldiers and officers of the Arab Army, in Palestine, Latroun, Bab Al Wad, Al Karameh and at Jerusalem's walls, where martyrs were sacrificed in scores, should be a source of pride and a role model to every one of you.

The latest events and developments in the region call for more awareness and preparedness so that we may confront anything that could affect our situation or threaten our country's security and stability. Our country, praise be to God, is well, and we are realising our goals. And with the will and resolve of the chivalrous Jordanian men and women, Jordan will always remain an oasis of security and stability and a role model for progress, able to confront challenges and realise achievements.

Dear Graduates,

As of today, you will become officers in the Arab Army, the army that everybody - far and near - knows to be a paragon of courage, discipline, efficiency, and devotion to military honour and national belonging. Your mission in this life is to defend your homeland, protect its achievements, and contribute to modernisation and development which enhances its strength, its status, security and stability. I am sure that you are, along with your brethren and colleagues in the Arab Army and the security institutions, worthy of this responsibility, and will hold high the banner of the homeland and its message.

Again, fellows, I convey to you my best wishes, and congratulate you and your families. My gratitude to, and appreciation of, Muta University – its faculty, management and instructors, for their good efforts, which offer the homeland each year a squadron of distinguished officers, who are the chivalrous soldiers of the homeland. May your spirits stay high, and may the banner wave high, with God's help.